Bolivia

Bolivia (i/bəˈlɪviə/; Spanish:[boˈliβja]; Quechua:Buliwya[bʊlɪwja]; Aymara:Wuliwya[wʊlɪwja]; Guarani:Volívia[ʋoˈliʋja]), officially known as the Plurinational State of Bolivia (Spanish:Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), is a landlocked country located in western-central South America. It is bordered to the north and east by Brazil, to the southeast by Paraguay, to the south by Argentina, to the southwest by Chile, and to the northwest by Peru. One-third of the country is the Andean mountain range, with its largest city and principal economic centers located in the Altiplano.

TV Boliviana

Televisión Boliviana (TV Bolivia) is the first television channel of Bolivia and serves the only means of television communication from the government. The channel was established in August 1969 under the government of Luis Adolfo Siles after years of planning by the government of then-recently deceased René Barrientos.

Criticism

The channel was established with the aim of serving as an independent, public service channel, but has served throughout its history as a propaganda tool for all the running governments according to studies on its programming.

TV Boliviana was the only nationwide TV channel until Paceña de Televisión was established on October 24, 1984.

References

Trivia

"Showcase" was a musical TV programme aired on Bolivia TV in 2010 with presenter Anthony Sandoval, later to become the established musician SEN.

Caidas de PRESENTADORES DE LA TV BOLIVIA PARTE 1

2:21

BOLIVIA: TV CAMERAS ALLOWED INTO HIGHEST SECURITY JAIL

BOLIVIA: TV CAMERAS ALLOWED INTO HIGHEST SECURITY JAIL

BOLIVIA: TV CAMERAS ALLOWED INTO HIGHEST SECURITY JAIL

Spanish/Nat
A-P-T-V television cameras have been granted a rare glimpse behind the bars of Bolivia's highest security prison, Chonchocoro.
The prison lies 35 kilometres outside the capital La Paz and is home to several key figures in Bolivia's recent troubled past.
They include disgraced politicians, drugs barons and former terrorists.
Among them, former president Luis Garcia Meza, condemned to 30 years without parole for a coup d'etat in 1981 which overthrew the then president Lidia Gueiler.
This is Chonchocoro, Bolivia's highest security prison.
Some of Bolivia's most feared criminals are held here under lock and key.
They include key terrorists, fallen politicians, and leading drug traffickers.
But given Chonchocoro's top security status, and a ratio of two prison guards to every inmate, none have so far escaped.
Among those inside, is the former general and dictator of Bolivia, Luis Garcia Meza.
His coup d'etat in 1981 overthrew the then president Lidia Gueiler and ushered in a brief but violent period under his command during which human rights were routinely violated.
He is now serving a 30-year sentence without parole.
Also here are former key figures of rebel organisations such as the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement and the Tupac Katari.
And a group of Brazilians convicted for drug trafficking, who are currently on hunger strike to protest against Bolivian justice.
SOUNDBITE: (Portuguese)
"The Brazilian embassy is doing nothing to fulfil the legal rights of a Brazilian citizen and deal with the discrimination of Brazilian citizens here in Bolivia. We've been on hunger strike for five days and we don't receive any medical aid."
SUPERCAPTION: Carlos AlbertoJunior, Brazilian inmate
But their case appears weak given the fact that Brazil's consul in La Paz has no plans to appeal on their behalf and because discipline here is tight.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
"The prison management is not going to intervene in this hunger strike in a way that might threaten the security and discipline of the whole prison."
SUPER CAPTION: Jose Orias Arredondo, Prison Governor
Chonchocoro may seem under rigid control but in other ways it is an exception to the rule in Bolivia.
Its workshops keep many occupied, and provide training in several employable skills.
And the 230 inmates currently locked away here fall below the prison's capacity for 300.
The broader picture in Bolivia is of overcrowded prisons, innocent children forced to live with parents behind bars, and of thousands jailed without trial or conviction.
The walls of Chonchocoro stand under tight prison guard.
And though the inmates have little chance of escape, their status has kept a worse prison fate at bay.
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